Key ejector case



Sept. 16, 1958 c. E. sTow KEY EJECTOR CASE Filed Dec. 3, 1955 ATTO lUnited States Patent O KEY EIECTOR CASE Application December 3, 1956,Serial No. 625,668

1 Claim. (Cl. 70-456) This invention relates to a key case and moreparticularly to a key-receiving device that normally houses the keytherewithin and is provided with means for automatically ejecting thesame to a position rendering the same usable in its intended mannersimply by releasing a movable retainer carried by the key-receivingbody.

It is the most important object of the instant invention to provide akey case of the aforementioned character that automatically swings a keyto a position extended from one end of the case upon release of the keyby shifting a retainer to one end of its path of travel.

Another important object of the instant invention is the provision of akey case having resilient means therewithin for automatically swingingthe key outwardly about a pintle upon which the key is mounted uponrelease of the retainer.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novelspring-loaded retainer which normally holds the key within the caseagainst the action of spring means for ejecting the key.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a singlespring that performs the dual function of holding the retainer in itskey-retaining position and ejecting the key upon release of theretainer.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a key ejector case made pursuantto my present invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view showing the case and key with one of theside walls of the case removed.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the key in theejected position.

Fig. 4 is an edge elevational view, parts being broken away and insection for clearness.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig. 1;and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, transverse, cross-sectional view taken on lineVI-VI of Fig. 2.

Case 10, for one or more keys 12, includes a pair of spaced,substantially identical, rectangular side walls 14 and 16 adapted toreceive the key 12 therebetween. Key 12 has a lhead 18 provided with anopening 20 that is received by a pintle 22 in the nature of a bolt andtubular nut as seen in Fig. 4 and which interconnects the walls 14 and16.

The wall 14 has integrally formed on the inner face thereof, a rear wall24 terminating below the uppermost longitudinal edge 26 thereof and abottom wall 28 terminating in spaced relationship to the forwardmost end30 of wall 14. When the walls 14 and 16 are interconnected, the innerface of wall 16 atly engages the walls 24 and 28 and the means ofattachment may consist of a suitable adhesive between the wall 16 andthe walls 24 and 28.

As seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the bottom wall 28 progressively decreases inheight as both ends thereof a-re approached, presenting a pair ofinclined, uppermost or innermost surfaces 32 and 34, there being asubstantially 2,851,872 Patented Sept. 16, 1958 ICC semi-circular notch36 in the upper face of wall 28 between the surfaces 32 and 34 thereof.A pin 38 integral with the inner face of wall 14 extends across thenotch 36 thereabove and is received by a cavity 40 within the inner faceof wall 16.

An elongated leaf spring 42 between the walls 14 and 16 has a bight 44composed of a pair of stretches 46 and 48 that normally convergedownwardly as a transversely arcuate offset 50 in bight 44 isapproached. The bight 44 is interposed between the wall 28 and the pin38, the offset 50 being in underlying engagement with the cylindricalpin 38, and partially fitting into the notch 36. An inwardly bowed loop52 forms an integral part of the stretch 48 and a similarly bowed loop54 Iforms an integral part of the stretch 46. The loop 54 is providedwith an outwardly bowed terminal end 56.

Walls 14 and 16 are provided with elongated, longitudinally-extendinggrooves 58 and 60 respectively adjacent the uppermost edges 26 and 62thereof, and adjacent the rear Wall 24 thereabove. The grooves 58 and 60receive a reciprocable tingerpiece or retainer 64 having rectangularlugs 66 on opposite faces thereof slidably received by the grooves 58and 60. Note that the terminal end 56 of spring 42 extends across thegrooves 58 and 60 within the path of travel of retainer 64 when thelatter is moved toward the end wall 24 and that such terminal end 56 isadapted to extend into overlying relationship to the wall 24 when theretainer 64 is at the extreme rearmost end of its path of travel.

Retainer 64 is provided with a notch or cutaway protion 68 normallyreceiving the free end of the key 12 in the manner illustrated by Fig. 2of the drawing. That part of the retainer 64 above the notch 68 istriangularshaped presenting an inclined, uppermost surface 70 againstwhich the `free end of the key 12 engages when the latter is swung to aposition within the case 10.

As seen in Fig. 2, the loop 52 is partially compressed by the key 12 andthe stretch 48 of spring 42 engages the inclined surface 34 of wall 28when the latter is retained within the case 10 by the retainer 64.

As is apparent in Figs. 2 and 3, the loop 54 of spring 42 yieldablybiases the retainer 64 toward the innermost end of its path of traveland when the latter is moved to the extreme outermost end of its path oftravel, the stretch 46 of spring 42 bears against the inclined surface32 of wall 28.

The interlocking relationship between otfset 50, pin 38 and notch 36,presents accidental displacement of the spring 42 from within the case10.

Ejection of the key 12 is automatic since the loop 52 forces the key 12out of the case 10 for rotation clockwise, viewing Fig. 3, about theaxis of pintle 22 when the retainer 64 is shifted toward the wall 24against the action of loop 54. When it is desired to reinsert the key 12into the case 10, it is but necessary to swing the key 12 intoengagement with the inclined surface 70 of retainer 64, which actionforces the retainer 64 toward the wall 24 whereupon the key 12 snapsinto place within the notch 68 of retainer 64.

Substantially semi-circular notches 72 within the edges 26 and 62 ofwalls 14 and 16, render key 12 accessible to the ngers for removal iffor any reason the spring loop 52 fails to eject the key by virtue ofbinding through collection of dirt and foreign matter. Moreparticularly, the notches 72 facilitate forcing of the key 12 into theposition shown in Fig. 2 in the manner above described.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

In a key ejector of the type provided with an elongated body having apair of side walls adapted to pivotally receive a key therebetween, akey retainer reciprocably.'

3 carried byi the body and a substantially U-shaped springmountedwithinthe body, having abight,v a' stretchA attached to saidretainer for yieldably maintaining the latter at one endof itsreciprocable p ath of travel in a, keyretaining positionand anothei`'opposed stretch disposed" in ay position to 4pivotally eject a portionofY the 'key' from` the body-'uponrelease of said retainer, theimprovementfof" which comprises an elongated lbottom interconnecting thelongitudinal margins o-f said side walls'remote-from said retainer andintegral with one-of saidtside-Walls; said bottom-having-a pair ofopposed longitudinal surfaces, the innery surface offsaidbottom-betweenthe side-wallsprogressively approaching the outersurface'of-the bottomas-theends'ofthe latter are approached whereby.y saidlbottomisbsubstantially triangular. in configuration, saidb'ot References:Cited in thele of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,6l8,958 -5Goodson Nov. 253.1952

